Bench

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Back on bench, Belinelli sparks Bulls win CHICAGO -- Richard Hamilton made a successful return from a foot injury and the teammate he sent back to the bench, Marco Belinelli, scored 17 points in his return to a reserve role as the Chicago Bulls beat Washington 87-77 on Saturday at the United Center. Belinelli had started the previous 12 games in place of Hamilton, who tore the plantar fascia in his left foot on Dec. 1. Coming off the bench early this season, Belinelli struggled.

The Sports Xchange Bench leads Johnson-less Nets past Suns PHOENIX -- With Joe Johnson missing and the team playing on a second consecutive night, the Brooklyn Nets knew they would need help from their bench to avoid a second straight loss. Kris Humphries, playing for only the second time since March 2, contributed 17 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, C.J. Watson had 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter, and the Nets regrouped to outlast the Phoenix Suns 102-100 Sunday night.

Spurs' bench helps lead way vs. Lakers SAN ANTONIO -- A well-rounded bench can help a team go a long way. For the San Antonio Spurs, it has been instrumental in getting them to the top of the standings. Guard Danny Green had 15 points, all from behind the 3-point line, and San Antonio won its ninth straight game with a 119-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Green, who was 5 of 8 from 3-point range, led a balanced scoring attack. San Antonio shot 49 percent (48 of 98)

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Atlanta Braves - INSIDE PITCH The season's outcome is still undecided, but with nine games to go it's clear the Braves are not going to repeat last September's collapse. That was caused by the fatigue of the bullpen and the faltering rotation, the latter responsible for the former. With Tim Hudson's strong performance in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Phillies -- the product of much side work honing his arm angle and arm slot -- the Braves now have confidence in at least three starting pitchers: Hudson, Kris Medlen and Mike Minor.

Q I am looking for a new car, but I am a large man (kind of a "bear," according to my wife and former teammates) and would prefer the old-fashioned bench-seat configuration rather than buckets with a constricting center console, which seems to be part of the design of just about every car out there, especially the high-end ones. I'm in the city often, and my wife will be using the car some of the time, and so I have ruled out a truck. Any recommendations? B.W., Chicago A The 2010 Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lucerne, Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis have front bench seats and capacity for six. The bench is standard on the Grand Marquis and Town Car. On the Lucerne and DTS, it's a $295 option, and on the Impala, it's $195 A bench seat provides extra space for a laptop, purse or other items — and that extra passenger.

The Sports Xchange MLB Team Report - Miami Marlins - INSIDE PITCH The Marlins were short-handed Thursday with outfielder Justin Ruggiano dealing with back spasms, outfielder Bryan Petersen unable to start due to a sore right shoulder, and infielder Donnie Murphy sidelined with flu-like symptoms. Ruggiano has missed two consecutive games after feeling his back tighten up following Tuesday's rain delay. "I felt it in the eighth inning, and I knew I had to hit in the ninth inning," Ruggiano said.

While Derrick Rose deservedly continues to receive MVP rave notices, the playoff-bound Bulls also boast quality depth on their roster. The Bulls received 41 points off the bench in Saturday night's win over Utah, including 17 from Kyle Korver and 16 from C.J. Watson . "Even when our second team comes in, they have been great all year," said starting forward Luol Deng , who matched Rose's game-high 26 points. "When the second unit comes on … when we are down … they bring us back.

MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was sent from the bench for protesting a referee's decision in the second half of Friday's King's Cup final against Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese reacted furiously when the official awarded a free kick to Atletico with around 15 minutes remaining at the Bernabeu, racing to the edge of his technical area and gesticulating wildly. Cristiano Ronaldo had put Real ahead in the 14th minute before Diego Costa equalised for Atletico 10 minutes before halftime.